Multiple unit space heater



June 23, 1931. F. YOUNG 1,811,071

MULTIPLE UNI-T SPACE HEATER Filed Au 21. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 23, 1931. F. M. YOU NG MULTIPLE UNIT SPACE HEATER Filed Aug. 21. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 2 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED M. YOUNG, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN IUL'IEIPLE uivr'r sracn HEATER Application filed August 21, 1929. Serial 1T0. 887,361.

The main objects of this invention are to provide im roved means for combining a plurality individual space heaters of the type shown in my copending application Serial No. 358,872, filed April 29, 1929, which has now matured into Patent No. 1,753,587, granted April 8, 1930, in a single heating unit; to provide improved means for selectively proportioning the supply of air to a multiple heating unit of this kind from the exterior and interior of a building; to provide means for distributing the flow of air from the interior of the building to the heating unit, between the top and bottom ends of the unit so as to obviate the creation of concentrated and unhealthful drafts; to provide a plurality of individual space heaters in a heating unit of this kind, each of which may i0 be selectively rendered inoperative for purposes of repair or to reduce the heating capacity of the unit without effecting the other space heaters.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,

-wherein:

Figure 1.is a top plan partly in section of a multiple unit heater. Y

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation artly in section. Fi 4 is an end elevation 0 one heating and vent ating unit, a plurality of which are used in the improved apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of i the top wall of the heater taken on the line.

5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail illustratin means for adjusting shutters for contro 'ng the an and ventilating units of the type shown'inl municates with the interior of the casing at supply to the heaters.

the form shown .the heater includes a casing having spaced apertures in registration with whichzare mounted unitary heating my copending application, Serial No. 358,- 87 2, filed April 29, 1929. An inlet duct comits rear side and with the atmosphere exterior of a building, and the bottom of the casing is open..- The top of the casing has a sectional wall which may be partly or completely removed- In the construction illustrated the heater includes a cabinet 1 formed of sheet metal and having upright legs 2 which support it above the floor. An air outlet is formed in each end wall of the casing and a pair of air outlets are formed in the front wallof the cabinet 1. The bottom of the casing is open and the top is provided with a wall comprising longitudinal sections 3 in the form of channel members having flanges 4 and 5 in which registered apertures are formed and which are detachably secured together by bolts 6.. The rear wall of the cabinet has an .inlet 7 communicating with an inlet duct 8 which extends through a passage 9 in a vertical wall 10 of a building. The external end of the duct 8 is provided with adjustable shutters 11 by means of which the duct may be completely or partially closed if desired. The shutters 11 are pivoted at their'upper ends and are pivotally connected together by a link 32,- and the shutters are adjusted as a unit by means of .a handle '33, Fig. 6, which is fast to a. rod 34 having an arm 35 connected by a link 36 to the shutters.

A pair of heating and ventilating units 12 is mounted on the end walls of the cabinet by a supporting frame 13, each unit being in registration with the outlet in one end wall. Mounted on the front of the cabinet 1 is a air of similar unitary heating-and ventilatclosed by side plates 22 extending between the upper and lower header tanks audit is connected with a boiler or other suitable heating means, not shown, by a supply pipe 23 and a discharge ipe 24 on the upper and lower header tank Each supply pipe 23 is rovided with a valve 25 by means of which t e flow of heating medium to each unit may be selectively con,-

s 17 and 18 respectively. 7

trolled. The drain pipes 24 of each unit may be connected with a return pipe when hot Water is used as a heating medium.

A blower motor 26 is secured to the upper header tank of each unit by a supporting arm 27 which extends into the cabinet 1 through the respective outlets in the side and front walls thereof. The motor 26 carries a blower member 28 in the form of a fan propeller which is designed to extract air from the interior of the cabinet 1 and discharge it through the heat interchanger into the interior of a building. Baflie plates or partitions 29 are arranged in the cabinet 1 between adjacent unitary heating and ventilating units for preventing confliction between the currents of air extracted by the blowers of the respective heating units and the creation of eddy currents. These partitions extend from the front wall of the casing substantially to the middle thereof, and are supported at their inner edges by Vertical bars 30. Each blower motor 26 is provided with an individual switch, by means of which any desired heating and ventilating units may be rendered inoperative without affecting the other units.

Air deflectors 31 are adjustably mounted on the heating units for distributing the currents of heated air in desired directions.

In operation, when the valves 25 are open and the blowers 28 are driven, currents of warm air are impelled outwardly from the casing through the outlets and through the heat interchangers with which the respective outlets register. When the top of the cabinet and the shutters 11 of the inlet duct are closed the discharge of air through the outlets causes an inrush of air at the bottom of the cabinet. If the flow of the air toward the bottom of the cabinet is too great, it may be reduced by either removing one or more of the sections 3 ofthe top Wall of the cabinet or by opening the shutters 11 on the inlet duct. In either event the flow of air to the casing will be divided and the intensity of the draft at the bottom of the cabinet will be proportionately reduced. At certain times of the year it is advantageous to recirculate the air in the building through the heater without admiting much fresh air from the outside of the building; while at other times it is desirable to provide a mixed supply of fresh and previously circulated air. The heater may be conditioned to admit the desired amount of fresh air by adjustment of the shutters 11 and it may readily be adapted for dividing the flow of previously circulated air into two currents by removing one or more of the sections 3 of the top wall.

Each ventilating and heating unit is independent of the other units, and may be shut down during repair or to reduce the heating and ventilatin" capacity of the heater without efiecting the other units. Selected units may be operated while other units are not in use for directing currents of heated air toward occupied portions of the building, thereby obviating the waste of heat.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims I claim:

7 1. Heating apparatus of the class described comprising a casing having a pair of air outlets therein, an air inlet duct for conveying fresh air to said casing from the exterior of a building in which the casing is located, the bottom of said casing being open for admitting air from the interior of said building, and a pair of unitary space heaters each comprising a heat interchanger and means for withdrawing air from said casing and discharging it through said heat interchangers, and shutters on said inlet duct for proportioning the admission of air into said casin getween the lower open end thereof and sai uct.

2. Heating apparatus of the class described comprising a casing having a pair of air outlets, the lower end of said casing being open for admitting air from the interior'of a building, a pair of unitary space heaters, each mounted on said casing in registration with one of said air outlets and each comprising a'heat interchanger, a separate blower for each space heater for withdrawing air from said casing and discharging it through said heat interchanger, and a cover on the top end of said casing comprising removable sections for admitting air through the top of said casing and reducing the draft at the bottom thereof.

3. A multiple unit heating apparatus comprising a casing having a plurality of air outlets therein, a plurality of heating units mounted on said casing, one in registration with each of said outlets and comprising a blower, said heating units each being connected with a heating medium supply pipe, and means associated with each unit respectively for independently controlling the supply of heating medium to each unit.

4. A multiple unit heating apparatus comprising a casing having an open end and a plurality of air outlets therein, an inlet duct communicating with said casing for supplying fresh air from the exterior of a building to said casing, means on said duct for controlling the supply of air from the exterior of said buildin to said casing and the flow of air from witiiin said building to the bottom of said casing, a plurality of heating units mounted on said casing, each comprising a blower in registration with one of said outlets and a heat interchanger, means for connecting said heat interchangers with a heatin medium supply system, and means for in ependently controlling the circulation of heating medium through said respective heat interchangers. v

Signed at Chicago this 19th day of August,

\ FRED M. YOUNG 

